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September 9th, 2011
04:48 PM ET
What the Yuck: Normal-weight guys with breastsToo embarrassed to ask your doctor about sex, body quirks, or the latest celeb health fad? In a regular feature and a new book, "What the Yuck?!," Health magazine medical editor Dr. Roshini Raj tackles your most personal and provocative questions. Send 'em to Dr. Raj at whattheyuck@health.com. Why do some normal-weight guys have breasts? Gynecomastia - or enlarged breast tissue in men - is caused by an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone. All men produce small amounts of estrogen and larger amounts of testosterone (the opposite is true for women). If the amount of estrogen increases or the amount of testosterone decreases, the breast tissue could swell or grow, creating breasts. Medicines, like antidepressants, anti-ulcer meds, and prostate and heart meds can also cause this condition. Other culprits include alcohol, marijuana, or anabolic steroids. Several health conditions can also cause men to develop breasts. These include hyperthyroidism, liver or kidney failure, and tumors, especially those on the adrenal or pituitary glands. This is usually a very sensitive subject with guys. Between the shame they feel and the ridicule they get from others, it's often hard for them to seek out help. But a good doctor should be able to pinpoint the cause and treat it through lifestyle changes or medications to control the hormones. In rare cases, the excess breast tissue doesn't respond to treatment, but if the guy wants to, he can have it removed surgically Copyright Health Magazine 2011
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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It's called things that mimic estrogen and they are ubiquitous in our society! Everything has soy in it – start reading labels – soy oil, soy lecithen, we're told soy milk is good, soy hot dogs etc. Then there's the plastics that have estrogenic properties that everything is wrapped or bottled in. Check out Ori Hofmekler's work to learn more about how to reduce your estrogen load so you don't have man boobs!!
I agree about the estrogens/phytoestrogens in our foods. Another source that I have read about is birth control hormones in drinking water. Waste water treatment kills bacteria, removes particles, algea... but it does not remove estrogens that originate from the urine of women using oral birth control or peri/post-menopausel HRT.
100% correct! xenoestrogens are the end of us.
Seriously, some folks don't know that some thyroids and soy are not good friends. I have CFIDS and when I was trying soy milk years ago, I was crashing a lot worse. My thyroid is soy-sensitive. (Parents of babies should be careful with soy milk/formulas, it can interfere with thyroid.) Then I had sudden onset severe perimenopause and had a reaction to my BHRT. So no estrogens for me. I'm not surprised it's happening to men too, with all the stuff in foods.
It's in the meat and dairy. Do some research on how they get cows to produce such mega amounts of milk and how they get chickens to mature in 4 to 6 weeks. Massive amounts of hormones are used and are present in the meat and milk from these animals.
True, soy does have some estrogen-like properties, however, dairy contains much more. Think about it...
alcohol and coffee will create it in no time
Is it me or does that guy have a normal chest? Why is that picture included?
...because they couldn't find a professional model with man-boobs! 😉
The profiled photo is of a normal chest. Any guy who does any chest work (ie. pushups, bench press) will look like the photo shown. Most guys with Gynecomastia probably hide from camera's which may be why they couldn't find a photo to represent the condition.
That guy has a very handsome chest! It's not you.
They must have picked it because nobody wants to look at moobs, even in an article about moobs.
> Any guy who does any chest work
Building up chest muscles will make it worse, because the chest muscles will push out the layer of fat even further. Surely most people by now realize that there's no such thing as targeting fat reduction in specific areas.
Same reason Cosmo exists. The advertising wonderkids realized that if they could make billions selling garbage health and "beauty" products to women, they could probably do the same to men. So you link an article about moobs to a picture of a normal guy and now even normal guys start worrying about their moobs and buying fad diets and lipo and other nonsense.
Really.I always wished my chest would look like that guys. I got a flat skinny body and chest that never got "manly" no matter how many freaking execises I did.
I like large Breast on me so if i have to wear a bra no big deal for me.
The bigger the Breast the better so i'll look feminine that's the i want it i'll be happyi will call the boobs i'm wearing a bra right now i would like it a cup size d.
It's the desire to honor God and to fight for the well-being of weaker ones and the strong sense of purpose that looks beyond the universe make a man manly, not just the tough-looking. Selfishness makes any man feminine. On the other hand, woman should not be ambitious and attacky but generous and graceful. Grace in manners – that makes a woman womanly, not just beautiful. We all have our own assignments.
So, selfishness is a feminine quality now? Cut the misogynistic drivel.
I can live with that.
Man, be a man from inside. God made you honorable. No one in the entire universe can humiliate you except by your own compromise to selfish fear or self-centered-ness. Always be ready to give your life for what is right. (Otherwise, we humans usually end up doing wrong.) Every man and woman carries pains that you don't see. Be brave and be a helping hand like a real man. Who cares what humans say or view when God gave you a noble purpose to live as a man?
I do NOT recall giving my permission to use a picture of my chest for this article.
I can live with that too.
I think this can happen to women. When they hit menopause, hormone imbalances can occur. Sometimes that can be frightening. For example, hormone fluctuations can cause lactation – which is normal. It's scarey when it happens on only one breast. Then you have to have it diagnosed to make sure it's not cancer. Apparently, if the discharge is white, you're okay. A lot of women lactate from only one breast if they have only one child and that child accepts only one breast. Poor mom is lop-sided, and lactating. They say this is normal?
I'm screwed. I take lexapro, drink coffee, alcohol, and I'm 58. Better start shopping for a bro.
It's a "manziere" 🙂
I prefer bro
Gay chest? That's funny. Plenty of men have little to no hair on their chest. Your apparently one of those Macho guys who thinks real men look like gorillas. I'll bet you probably wear a big gold neck chain as well. Keep living in your own dream world.
@Frankfoe: I bet you're a closet man lover, huh? Either you are posting from your parents basement, or while you're watching your neighbor and putting lipstick on.
Relax my gay friend, be proud of what you are. I was just saying that any man who shaves his chest is a fruitcake.
@ Carla. What the hell does that have to do with the man boob issue?
Most women and men suffer hormone imbalances in our culture. The quality of our food, and the poor food choices we make, lead to imbalances and in particular, states of estrogen excess or imbalances far exceeding healthy physiological ranges. In men this proliferative hormone promotes prostatic hypertrophy, and ever-widening belt girth, man-boobs, and yes, shrinking gonads. And you'll probably shave less. Men, you will find it a shock to learn that big gut you cart around is actually an estrogen factory compounding the effects of the phyto and xeno estrogens you take into your body from your poor diet. "Man-up" by cleaning up your diet for starters. You'll be amazed at the benefits.
Soy causes man boobs? You people are imbeciles. Overeating causes man boobs more than anything else.
No need to call ppl names Omar, especially when they are right and you are wrong. It doesn't take a ton of up to date reading about health issues to know that soy is problematic. Try doing a little reading before you jump into a conversation. Also, in the interest of good manners, even if you find something said that you know to be wrong, try some polite disagreement followed by something to back up your claim.
Something your Alcohol Pusher will never tell you, drinking Alcohol cause estrogen production in men causing beer bellies and male boobs!!
How do you know that to be true?
Men "wished" they had chests like this picture....someone is clueless. An appropriate photo should have been used. Maybe men in this country are so use to seeing silicone breasts, they don't know what a r
eal one looks like when they see it.
That picture is completely unrealistic. And his chest is freshly shaved. Are men not supposed to have chest hair now? What is it with women wanting men to look like boys?
"Lets produce" is gay and he shaves his chest
In a related article, certain foods can cause hormonal imbalances leading to women growing johnsons!
This Comment is LADY GAGA approved!
frankfoe.........What a Maroon!
True. Men are suppose to have hair on their chests. If you don't like hairy chests, then stick with young boys.
I am pretty sure my man boobs came from smoking marijuana when I was a teenager. I am not overweight and am in over good health, but boy do I have some embarrasing man cans – aka b itch t it. I hate the beach, the swimming pool or anything where people might see me without my shirt on. Some shirts even show it off. I where two shirts normally to hide it. It sucks. Ruins your life. Hate it.
Welcome to our polluted and poisonous society.
Can i give em' a squeeze?
Frank, any one of these hairless men could make your wife scream altough she never has with you...easy to see why!
I know Frank and his wife is a man. His wife does have hair on his chest. Franks a little envious since his wife has more hair than he has. The other commenter was correct in that Frank does wear a very large Gold medallion.
Way to be professional and classy, CNN, by discussing a medical condition under the headline What the Yuck. It's not as if there are real people with this condition who aren't being shamed or people who lack information who are being scared or grossed out. It's certainly not as if the article itself even notes that this is a sensitive issue. But no, when you snagged the article from Health, you just had to give it a sensatiionalist headline. *slow clap*
I agree,
I don't understand why journalism sometimes strays from it's objective roots. Think about it: if every news article merely stayed objective rather than using subjective language, they could:
1.) appeal to a broader audience, therefore increasing traffic and advertising revenue
2.) promote a sense of education among readers rather than an attempt to control opinions
3.) kindle a culture of inquiry as people would have to read between the lines and form their own opinions (i.e., man boobs are "yuck" or man boobs are not a big deal) by their own thought... not from reading a headline article.
So yes, I agree with you. In so many ways, news sources should just try to weed out perjorative (sp?) language, like scientific fields attempt to do.
If I grow boobs I'll never have to leave the house again.
That was an old George Carlin joke.
Noting that cats can lick themselves, he said, "If I could do that I'd never leave the apartment."
A healthy diet and certain types of exercises help get rid of man boobs. Though it's usually genetic, with enough hard work and motivation – and a few good tricks. They can be dealt with naturally. Nothing gained happens without it being earned. http://www.manzido.com
"What the Yuck: Normal-weight guys with breasts"
The good news is that they can share the breast feeding duties with their wives
.
The guy in the picture just looks like a dedicated bench presser.
Real cases of this syndrome are embarrassing for the sufferers.